Cheese fries and healthy eats aren’t mutually exclusive. At least not the way I make them. Sure, you can get cheese fries loaded up nacho-style, but bear in mind, one serving dishes up to 800 calories, 50 grams of fat and 2/3 of your sodium for the day (a whopping 1,000 mg). Considering one medium Russet potato has about 140 calories and is virtually fat and sodium free, that’s a heaping pile of lard on top of otherwise healthy spuds.

Not to worry, I’ve got your back. First, I bake the potatoes until golden brown and then I top them with shredded pepper jack cheese and fresh salsa (I prefer fresh salsa from my favorite Mexican restaurant or the produce section of the grocery store). You can also get crazy and top the potatoes with homemade chili (regular, turkey, vegetarian), and feel free to swap out the pepper jack for aged white cheddar. You can even top the whole concoction with sliced (jarred) jalapenos and sliced black olives.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet, in a single layer, spray with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake 25 minutes, until golden brown. Top the potatoes with the cheese and bake for 3-5 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Remove the potatoes from the oven and top with salsa.